Friday, September 21, 2012

10 Japanese Izakaya Dishes for Beginners

Japanese food can be intimidating if all you know about the cuisine is sushi

and miso soup. Take a trip there and you'lI quickly see that more Americans

eat sushi on a regular basis than Japanese people. True traditional Japanese

food is so much more than that and unlike popular belief, not everyone over

there likes raw fish (in fact, I have 3 cousins in Japan who are so repulsed by

the thought of raw fish, they refuse to try it even just once). A good way to

discover the many different facets of Japanese cuisine is to visit an Izakaya

(Japanese drinking establishment where they serve a myriad of appetizer size

dishes) and try as many different plates as you can. This is a great way to get

your feet wet into one of the world's most colorful and complex cuisines. 15

years ago you would've had to have been in Japan to find Izakayas but thing

have changed; nowadays Izakayas are becoming more popular in the western

world and can be found in big cities like New York, Chicago, L.A, Toronto and

Montreal.

Izakaya menus
are great because they're filled with pictures which makes it easy to

understand
and see what you're about to order.

A typical Izakaya menu looks like this

But this can still be a challenge if you're
not familiar with this
type of food and can quickly get confusing as Izakaya menus are large and incredibly varied,
offering everything from a simple tomato

salad, to
oddities like fermented firefly squid.

I love
the fact that more and more people are interested in Japanese food and

wanted to
help by giving a list of 10 basic can't go wrong dishes to order for

beginners.
Nothing too out there in texture or taste, popular dishes I've seen

groups of
friends and English teachers ordering frequently in Tokyo and all over

Japan.
This list is for all of you out there (including the lovely couple at Sake bar

Hagi who
so eagerly wanted to expand their knowledge of Japanese food and

were
brave enough to ask for our help) who want to discover what the world has

to offer,
who want to become more adventurous and add new notches to your

culinary
belt.

Okonomkiyaki

1 -
Okonomiyaki

(also known as Japanese Pizza) meaning "what you like" or "what you want", this is a classic savory pancake made with flour and eggs, and mixed with veggies such as cabbage, onions, carrots, meats like pork, bacon, or seafood like squid or shrimp. It's topped with bonito flakes, mayonnaise and tonkatsu sauce (sweet sauce, similar to worcestershire without the smokiness).

Berkshire Sausages

2 -
Berkshire Sausages

Yes sausages! What makes these sausages special is the casing;

thicker to bite into, the sausage pops into your mouth and lets all the juices out. Served with a little Japanese hot mustard, these sausages are available regular or spicy. Once again the Japanese have taken something that wasn't theirs and made it better.

Spaghetti Naporitan

3 - Spaghetti Naporitan (Napolitan)

So simple; It's spaghetti made with ketchup, tabasco and butter, and it tastes GOOD! This easy pasta dish is topped with sliced onions, green peppers and ham (or sausage).

Yakisoba

4 -
Yakisoba

Similar to ramen noodles but stir fried, yakisoba comes with pork, cabbage, onions and carrots. The yakisoba sauce is mainly made of soy, rice wine vinegar and a dash of worcestershire. It's topped with seaweed powder and pickled ginger.

Cream Croquettes

5 - Cream Croquettes (korokke)

Deep fried balls of creamy potatoes and white sauce mixed with chopped meat, seafood or vegetables, these are incredible! The

outside is made of crispy deep fried breadcrumbs, while the inside

oozes out fluffy creamy deliciousness as you break your chopsticks

into it. Croquettes are often served with tonkatsu sauce and shredded cabbage.

Agedashi Tofu

6 -
Agedashi Tofu

Deep fried silken tofu cubes (dusted with potato starch or cornstarch) served in a hot tentsuyu broth (mirin, soy sauce and dashi) which tastes a little sweet but more on the savory side. It's topped with grated daikon (radish), bonito flakes and scallions. One my absolute favorites.

Simple and delicious; deep fried squid served with lemon wedges. Japanese people use potato starch or cornstarch to fry the squid, giving it a much lighter texture than the typical deep fried squid you'd find in a pub or greek restaurant.

Skewers of grilled chicken patties (ground chicken mixed with onions, sake, ginger, garlic) brushed with a sweet soy sauce, it's a classic yakitori (grilled chicken) dish not to be missed. I don't know one person who doesn't like this!

I know I said I'd give 10 recommendations but I had to add one last that should never be skipped!

Homemade Tofu

11 - Tofu (NOT TO BE MISSED ONLY IF IT'S HOME
MADE)

I've always said "you don't know what real tofu tastes like until you've had fresh home made one". This statement still holds true as I've converted many of my friends into tofu lovers after taking them to the best tofu spots in NYC. Believe me, it's worth it, fresh home made tofu melts in your mouth and almost tastes like soy milk.